Faith-based community services organisation, Uniting, is the only non-government not-for-profit to receive the gold employer award.

Australia’s first faith-based not-for-profit organisation to receive a Rainbow Tickaccreditation, Uniting, has again been recognised for its commitment to inclusivity and support for the LGBTIQ community by collecting three awards in the 2018 Australian Workplace Equity Index (AWEI).

The AWEI awards are an independent benchmark of the actions taken by Australian organisations as LGBTI-inclusive employers. More than 130 organisations entered the 2018 AWEI awards by demonstrating their inclusiveness in the previous calendar year, which are then benchmarked against other organisations.

“All Uniting community services, including youth services, aged care and chaplaincy, are backed by an organisation-wide commitment to inclusion and diversity. We welcome all people irrespective of sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or intersex status,” Uniting Director Customer, People and Systems, Jill Reich said.

The three awards presented to Uniting in 2018 are a welcome addition to our previous AWEI awards won in the last two years: the Pride in Diversitygold employer award and Best Not-For-Profit in 2016, and a silver employer award in 2017.

The three AWEI awards presented to Uniting in 2018 are:

1. A gold employer award, one of only 12 awarded and the only non-government not-for-profit to receive the award this year;

2. The award for Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion; and

3. Uniting team member, Kimberly Olsen, was awarded the Sapphire Inspire Award for lesbian, bi or trans women of influence in the workforce.

“One of the major aims of Uniting is to confront injustice to create an inclusive, connected and just world. This includes advocating for compassion and inclusivity for all Australians, including the many LGBTI members of our community,” Ms Reich said.

“These awards recognise Uniting’s ethos of welcoming people exactly as they are. In addition to promoting inclusivity within the workplace, Uniting teams also proudly participate in LGBTI community events across the state, including the Broken Heel Festival in Broken Hill, Fruitopia Festival in Lismore, and Pride Marches in Dubbo. Uniting Church members have also participated in the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras since 1998, and have marched alongside Uniting in recent years.”

In addition to being the only faith based organisation to receive the AWEI awards, Uniting was also the first faith-based organisation in Australia to receive Rainbow Tick accreditation, which it first received in 2015 for aged care and corporate services.